Ravi Ashwin became only the sixth cricketer in Test history to score 3000 runs and take 400 or more wickets on Friday, December 23. The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu accomplished the feat during Bangladesh’s second Test against India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The other five cricketers to reach the milestone are Kapil Dev, Shaun Pollock, Stuart Broad, Shane Warne, and Sir Richard Hadlee. Before the Mirpur Test, Ashwin was only 16 runs away from achieving the feat, which he did in the third session of the second day’s play of the ongoing Test.
This is some achievement!
👏👏👏#BANvIND #BANvsIND #INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/iULayPCZTh— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) December 23, 2022
Ashwin is also three wickets away from becoming the fastest Indian to 450 Test wickets. Former leg-spinner Anil Kumble currently holds the record for the fastest to the milestone in 93 matches.
On Friday, Ashwin scored 12 runs off 30 balls, including two fours, before Shakib Al Hasan caught him in front. Ashwin took four wickets in the first innings and was one of India’s standout bowlers, along with Umesh Yadav.
Also Read: Cricket: India beat Bangladesh by three wickets to win series 2-0
A number of players have backed Ashwin to break Muttiah Muralitharan’s Test wicket record of 800. Nathan Lyon of Australia recently surpassed him in the list of most Test wickets.
Ashwin has also scored five centuries in Test cricket, four against the West Indies and one against England in 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Kapil Dev of Haryana is regarded as one of the greatest pace bowlers to have played Test cricket for India. Kapil Dev’s Test career lasted 16 years, during which time he took 434 wickets (227 inns) and scored 248 runs (184 inns). Among pace bowlers, Kapil Dev continues to be India’s leading wicket-taker.
The 36-year-old scored a hard-fought half-century, propelling India to a solid 404-run first-innings total. This was Ashwin’s 13th fifty in the longest format, and he reached a significant career milestone during this knock.
R Ashwin needs 11 more Test runs and seven more wickets to become only the third player in the history of the game to score at least 3,000 runs and pick up 450+ wickets.
Ashwin currently has 2,989 runs and 443 wickets in 87 Tests. #BANvIND pic.twitter.com/k9jh01bcxU
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) December 18, 2022
The Chennai cricketer reached 3,000 runs in Test cricket, becoming only the fifth player in history to achieve both 3,000 runs and 400 Test wickets. He joined the ranks of legends such as Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, and Shaun Pollock.
